


A New Life for You (and Me)

by Mystical_Artist



Category: The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
Genre: Internalized Homophobia, Kinda Fluffy, M/M, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, country living
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25936234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystical_Artist/pseuds/Mystical_Artist
Summary: Boris buys them a house in the country.Theo thinks the whole thing seems kind of gay.If the old lady across the street with binoculars is any indication, he's not the only one.
Relationships: Theodore Decker/Boris Pavlikovsky
Comments: 3
Kudos: 85





	A New Life for You (and Me)

“Potter!” Boris said, bursting into Theo’s apartment. “Pack all belongings. Is time to go. Must leave now.”

And with that brief, uninformative outburst, Boris turned around and immediately left, leaving a baffled Theo to quickly throw everything he could into a single suitcase and duffle bag. When he got to the door of his apartment, Theo turned and scrutinized the area, wondering if this was the last time he would ever see it. Shaking his head, he grabbed his things and headed downstairs, telling himself he wouldn’t miss it while knowing he was lying.

Instead of being greeted by Boris outside, Theo instead was met with one of Boris’ henchmen, who took his bags and put them in the trunk before quickly ushering Theo into the backseat of the car.

“Hey! We need to wait for Boris,” Theo exclaimed, craning his neck to try and find Boris as the driver pulled away from the sidewalk.

“Will meet you there. Drive separate,” the driver said in a heavy Russian accent. He refused to speak anymore, no matter how many questions Theo threw his way.

Theo moodily settled into the seat, watching the city slowly disappear around him and wondering just _what_ Boris had in store for them. It certainly wasn’t the first time Boris had whisked him away without any explanation, but Theo had a different feeling about this time. Before long, he found himself dozing in the backseat, his head gently lolling against the window.

“We arrive,” the driver said. And based off his tone, Theo realized, it wasn’t the first time he had said it. Just how long had he slept? Theo ran a hand over his face trying to snap out of his daze. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, only that it seemed to be several hours later. He wasn’t even sure what _state_ they were in now, and everything around them seemed eerily still and silent.

Getting out of the car, Theo saw a large house –more of a mansion, really- sprawling in front of him. He turned in a circle, seeing only endless fields. He saw only one other house across the street, and Theo could see the outline of someone, an old woman, on the porch watching him. He gave a half-hearted wave before turning back to the house in front of him.

The driver –Theo never asked for his name- got Theo’s belongings from the trunk and set them down on the grass before getting back into the car and driving off. Theo gestured in disbelief at the receding vehicle, wondering _where the_ _fuck_ Boris’ goon had left him. At least, Theo thought, he wasn’t stranded without a change of underwear.

He grabbed his things and slowly headed up towards the house. He didn’t get far before Boris came bursting through the front door and down the steps, practically skipping towards him in excitement.

“Potter!” Boris said, throwing his arms around Theo. “Come, come. See what I did!”

Theo stood his ground as Boris grabbed one of his bags to go back into the house. Boris had gotten to porch steps before he realized Theo wasn’t following him.

“Boris, what the motherfuck. Why’d we have to leave so suddenly? Who’d you piss off?” Theo asked, feeling a wave of panic go through his body. He pictured a police force currently breaking down his apartment door, sifting through the few things he was forced to leave behind. Or worse, a team of assassins hiding in the surrounding fields with their sniper rifles aimed at their heads.

_What did you do, Boris?_ Theo thought as he discreetly eyed the fields around them. Someone was bound to jump out at them, and he wanted to be ready when it happened. 

“Patience, Potter. I explain everything.”

Theo crossed his arms. He hoped Boris would make it quick; he hated feeling so…exposed out here in the burning sun. The place was so quiet, and Theo already found himself missing the constant noise of the city. “Okay. Explain.”

Boris set the bag down and came back over to Theo. He stood next to him and placed an arm around Theo’s shoulder, gesturing at the home. “I buy house! Just for us. Got lots of money from ah….particular job…Decide to end career and be homeowner! American dream, yes?”

Theo frowned. What did he mean a house for _them_?

“What do you mean “for us”? We’re both going to live here? Out in the middle of…where are we, anyway?” Theo asked, scratching the back of his head. No one had shot them yet, so maybe they were safe after all. He allowed some of the tension in his body to relax.

Boris threw his head back and laughed. “Middle of fucking nowhere, Potter. Is perfect! And yes, I buy for you _and_ me.” He turned and grabbed Theo’s upper arms, face full of excitement. “Well? What do you think? We will live like kings! Is nice, no?”

Theo took another hesitating look around him. The house _was_ pretty amazing, but the entire situation bothered him. The two of them living together in this big house, out in the middle of fucking _nowhere,_ with only one neighbor for miles? Boris, throwing his arms around Theo the moment he arrived –separately, at that? The whole thing just seemed so…so…

So… _gay_.

But seeing the look of joy start to falter on Boris’ face at his lack of enthusiasm, Theo couldn’t bring himself to say so even as a roll of nausea rippled through his stomach. What was the old lady across the street going to think?

“Yeah, it’s ah…pretty cool,” Theo said, choking down the vomit that was surely making its way up his throat. He could feel the eyes of that old lady across the street boring into his back, and it made the recently discarded tension rush back into his body.

“Pretty cool? Is so much more than that, Potter! Here,” Boris said, sliding his hand down to Theo’s elbow and dragging him towards the house. “Have so much more to show you.”

And so Boris began by giving him a tour of his – _their-_ house. Despite his apprehension, Theo found himself smiling as Boris showed him room after room. The place was huge: an enormous kitchen with an island bigger than the _entire kitchen_ back in Theo’s apartment, a study with every wall lined with packed bookshelves, an in-ground pool in the backyard…

“Boris,” Theo said, finally willing to voice what had been nagging him since the tour began. “You didn’t like…kill whoever lived here just to take their house for yourself, right?”

Boris laughed and shook his head. “Potter, how dare you make such accusation. I buy house in normal way, no killing involved. Promise.”

Theo placed a hand on his hip, not believing a word. “And where did you get the money for a place like this? It must’ve cost a fortune.”

Boris placed a finger over his lips and said nothing.

_You secretive ass_ , Theo thought.

\-----

Theo examined what was now his room with mild disinterest. It was nice, there was no doubt about that. A queen size bed, his own bathroom, and a bay window overlooking the pool down below. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of wrongness, as though he was going to wake up from a very strange dream at any moment. The silence of the place was oppressive. His thoughts were too loud in his head, and the occasional vehicle that drove by seemed like a freight train bearing down on his skull. Theo wasn’t sure how long he would be able to stand it before he did something stupid. He eyed the deep end of the pool outside with interest, but then remembered Boris telling him he didn’t want Theo swimming alone.

Theo stepped away from the window and walked over to the dresser, absentmindedly opening the drawers. Empy, empty, empty…except for the last one he checked. There, nestled on top of an extra set of neatly folded sheets was The Goldfinch. Not the original, of course. Theo knew that right away. But seeing the print in its delicate frame was like a jarring punch to the gut. He grabbed onto the edge of the dresser to support himself, his vision becoming blurred with a mixture of stars and tears. He wondered if he was going to pass out, but the feeling slowly passed and Theo righted himself with shaking legs.

There was no way this was a coincidence. A house out in the middle of -he still wasn’t sure which state- with _this_ hidden away? In _his_ bedroom? Theo shook his head at the absurdity.

The answer was Boris. Of course. Theo wasn’t sure if he was supposed to have found it yet or not, but he took it out of the drawer and propped it on top of the dresser anyway. He stepped back until his legs hit the end of the bed before slowly sitting down, never taking his eyes off of the painting.

Even now, after all this time, it drew him in. Theo sat there staring at it for minutes or hours, he wasn’t sure, only tearing his eyes away when Boris called him downstairs for dinner.

\-----

As it turned out, owning a home was a lot more work than either of them initially realized. While Boris had been busy furnishing the place before Theo had arrived, there were things he didn’t think about buying. To be fair, Theo was sure neither of them had ever used a dishwasher before, so neither of them realized dish soap was _not_ the same as dishwasher detergent. When the bubbles had erupted out of the appliance and all over the kitchen, Theo wanted to cry in frustration. Boris had simply laughed.

What a fucking mess _that_ had been.

Now, staring at the contraption in front of him, Theo decided he would rather deal with the exploding dishwasher. After all, he had never used a lawn mower in his life. His father had certainly never needed one in the Vegas desert, and no one had _yards_ in New York City. It had been a good half hour since he had come out here, and he wasn’t any closer to having the lawn mowed than before. He almost went back inside to get Boris, but the idea of Boris on a lawn mower was impossible. While Theo had toyed with the idea of suicide for most of his teenage and adult life, he didn’t want to be taken out by a drunken Boris trying to use heavy machinery. Theo shook his head and decided to try again.

He sat back down on the seat and hopelessly read the directions over again, wondering why it had to be so complicated. Pushing what he hoped was the right button this time, he turned the key in the ignition and cheered when it started up. Putting the device into gear, he slowly backed out of the shed. After multiple stall-outs, lots of swearing, and managing to run over and destroy every fern and flower that had been so meticulously planted –sorry, Boris-, Theo finally finished the job.

He started to ride back to the shed, only to realize he had never lowered the blade on the mower. The grass was still as tall as before, the towering weeds mocking him as they swayed in the breeze.

“Fuck!” Theo screamed, throwing his head back in frustration. Turning his head, he saw the old lady was watching him. She was too far away to be sure, but Theo was pretty sure he was being laughed at.

“Old hag,” Theo muttered, giving her what he hoped was a sarcastic wave. He turned back towards the house and saw with crushing embarrassment that Boris was watching him too.

And he was _definitely_ laughing.

\-----

Theo dreamed about a lot of things, and dreaming about the museum bombing had always been a nightly occurrence. Part of him had hoped living with Boris would change that, but part of him knew it was something he would be stuck with for the rest of his life.

He had been living in Boris’ house for a couple of weeks now –Theo still couldn’t think of it as _their_ house- when he dreamt it.

It started out the same: touring the museum with his mother, admiring the girl with the red hair. But after the explosion, when he normally woke up, Theo instead found himself trudging through the rubble, a blurred crowd of people covered in blood on either side of him. The rubble slowly changed into a red carpet, the toppled pillars into religious statues looming down at him.

And at the end of it all was Boris, wearing a tux and looking surprisingly somber. When Theo finally reached Boris, he glanced behind him to see the still-blurred crowd of people had tripled in size. Boris reached out and touched Theo’s shoulder, turning him back. As he turned, the crowd suddenly vanished by melting through the floor, and Boris was now holding a comically large velvet ring box out to Theo.

Boris began speaking, but Theo couldn’t understand what he was saying. The words came out sluggish, and Theo couldn’t tell what language Boris was even speaking in. Boris slowly held the box out again, a look of panic now on his face and his words coming out frantic, if still a bit sluggish.

Theo took the box and opened it to see The Goldfinch was inside. But the painting was distorted: the bird stretched out too much, the colors dull and tarnished. This was not the painting he adored.

He looked up at Boris to tell him, but he had disappeared too, and Theo was alone.

When he woke up, Theo quickly got out of bed and checked the picture propped up on the dresser. He sighed in relief when he saw it was the same as before. Grabbing it, Theo got back into bed and held it close to him like a child with their favorite stuffed toy. The frame dug uncomfortably into his chest, but Theo quickly drifted off to sleep, the discomfort immediately forgotten.

Later, he tried not to think about the implications of the dream. Not about Boris offering him a twisted bastardization of his favorite thing, and certainly not about the clear wedding undertone to it all. And most importantly, he didn’t think about how good Boris looked in that tux.

No, he definitely didn’t let himself think about that. 

\-----

Theo sat at the edge of the pool, his legs hanging down into the water. Boris was already in the pool, lazily floating around on his back with his arms stretched out around him, completely relaxed.

“This is great, eh? Never thought I would have a pool,” Boris said, gradually making his way over to Theo. He rested his arms on Theo’s knees, letting his own legs drift behind him in the water.

“What is problem, Potter? You are too quiet today,” Boris said, resting his chin on his arms.

Theo shrugged. He _was_ in a mood, but couldn’t quite pinpoint why today was bothering him more than usual. He took off his sunglasses and set them beside him on the concrete, closing his eyes as he tilted his head up towards the sun. He enjoyed the dark spots that dotted his vision when he opened his eyes again.

“I don’t know. Guess I’m just in a bad mood today,” Theo said, sliding down limply into the water directly in front of Boris. His feet barely touched the bottom along the edge of the pool, and Boris was inches away from him, resting his palms on the edge to keep himself afloat.

“You are not happy,” Boris said dejectedly. “Is perfect life, Potter! I don’t understand.”

Theo slowly shook his head. “I know. I’m grateful, really. I’m not sure what my problem is.”

Except, Theo knew exactly what the problem was. He wanted more. If his dreams were any indication, Theo wanted to _marry Boris_ , for fucks sake. The idea made the familiar taste of bile rise in his throat, but he did his best to push it back down. He was disgusted with himself for even wanting such a thing, but even more sickened by his inability to _do_ anything about it.

Part of him wished he hadn’t gotten clean all those months ago so he could drown himself in whatever drug he could find. At least then he could pretend this feeling was some drug-induced delusion.

“Hmm. Life too boring for you? Not enough girls?”

Theo snorted, earning a laugh from Boris.

“Ha! We only have that old bag across the street. I think she likes you, Potter. Always watching you with that sight-see contraption!” Boris said, mimicking the shape of binoculars with his hands. He quickly grabbed the edge of the pool again with a laugh when he started to sink.

“They’re _binoculars._ And it’s awkward as fuck mowing that stupid lawn with her watching me.”

“Yes, is fun to watch, I know,” Boris said distractedly, running a hand through his hair and mumbling something in Russian too quickly for Theo to catch.

_What the fuck_? Theo thought.

Boris suddenly leaned in, his lips coming dangerously close to Theo’s. Given their already close proximity, Boris barely had to move to get closer. _This is it,_ Theo thought as his stomach somersaulted in apprehension. Boris was going to be the one to cross the unspeakable line; the one Theo himself had drawn all the way back in Vegas. Theo held his breath and tried not to vomit as Boris...

Boris…

…reached around him to grab the discarded sunglasses off the concrete, placing them on his face and claiming them for himself. He pushed himself off the edge of the pool and again floated on his back.

Theo shoved his disappointment down and threw himself in the water to float on his back, the warm sun beating down on him doing nothing to improve his mood.

“Boris,” he said quietly, the water gently lapping against his outstretched hands. Maybe if he voiced some of his worries it would ease the tension that had taken up permanent residence in his body.

“Hmm?” Boris responded lazily.

“I don’t think I deserve to be happy,” Theo said in a rush. 

“Bullshit,” Boris spat. “Everyone deserves to be happy, Potter. Even us.”

Theo hand ghosted over Boris’, who slowly drifted toward him.

“Listen, Potter. Sometimes, life is shit. And sometimes, life gives second chance. To make up for the….the…” Boris waved his hand, trying and failing to come up with the right word. “You know? This is new life for us. No more selling silly antiques! No more always looking over the shoulder.”

Theo ran the back of his hand over his eyes, annoyed at the wetness he felt there.

“Sure, we both do bad things,” Boris continued. “But does not mean we are cursed to live bad life forever. Enjoy things while we can, yes?”

Theo opened his mouth to ask what self-help book Boris had gotten _that_ from, only to have Boris aggressively dunk him in the water.

\-----

Theo came downstairs after deciding to take a relaxing bath, wondering what concoctions Boris was planning for today’s meals. While Theo had become decently proficient at taking care of the outside of the house, Boris had focused on cooking. The first few meals had been questionable at best, but at least they were edible. Mostly.

After multiple disasters, Boris finally seemed to be getting the hang of it. Still, sometimes Theo just wanted to order a greasy pizza and drink a beer and be done with it. But Boris insisted on trying to make gourmet-level meals and drinking expensive wine.

Where he got any of these things was beyond Theo. Things just seemed to magically appear, and while he knew Boris wasn’t just waving a magic wand to make it happen, he didn’t understand how he kept things stocked.

Today, Theo was up hours earlier than normal. Forgetting to close the blinds the night before, the morning sun beating down through his window woke him up. Still feeling cranky and sleep deprived, Theo sulked downstairs after his bath to see Boris was already up and around with a set of car keys dangling from his fingers.

“Ah, Potter. Where is the fire? Is very early for you to be up!” Boris said, his loud voice overpowering in the silence.

“…My room is bright as shit. I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I guess I’m up for the day,” Theo said with a yawn. “What’re the keys for?”

Boris jiggled them in front of Theo’s face. “For driving, of course. Going to get more food.”

Theo frowned. Just how many hours did Boris have to travel to find a grocery store? And more importantly, since when did _Boris_ drive? Theo didn’t even realize they had a _car._

“You still asleep! I come back later. My room is much darker. Feel free to sleep there.”

Theo nodded and yawned again. “See you in a few hours, I guess.”

Boris chuckled. “Is only a couple of miles, Potter. We not as far out as it seems.”

He lightly smacked Theo on the cheek with his hand before heading out the back door. Theo heard a car start up and wondered just how far into his own head he was to not realize there had been a car here the entire time.

Shaking his head at himself, he headed back upstairs to Boris’ room. He paused outside the door when he realized he had never actually _seen_ the room before. Boris hadn’t shown him during his tour, and Theo had never wanted to invade his privacy.

Seeing the room now though, Theo was glad Boris wasn’t with him as he was overcome with emotion. Boris had given Theo the better room. Not that this was bad, Theo reasoned, but it was much smaller and the bathroom was across the hall. Wandering into the space, Theo peeked behind the curtain to see the view wasn’t nearly as good, either.

Trying not to question Boris’ motives too deeply, Theo awkwardly laid down on top of the covers and tried to fall back sleep.

He awoke later to a silent house. Glancing at his watch, Theo realized Boris should have been back hours ago. He wondered why Boris never asked for Theo to come with him, and decided the next time he would either insist on going, or simply go himself.

He headed toward the stairs, every step sounding louder than the other. While Theo had finally started to get used to the quietness of country life, this noiselessness was overwhelming and unwelcome. He felt the urge to scream, just to hear something other than his own irritating thoughts, but decided he wasn’t ready to jump down that rabbit hole of craziness yet.

He called out for Boris, but only his own voice echoed back to him. He detoured into his own room to grab his painting before heading downstairs, not wanting to be unaccompanied in this large and suddenly lonely house. He peeked in the kitchen to see it was fully restocked. Clearly Boris had gotten back from his shopping trip a while ago.

Theo threw himself onto the sofa, feeling more alone than ever. He clutched the print to his chest, curling his body up into a ball to try and avoid his ever-building panic. There was nothing disturbing about the house when Boris was here with him, but now Theo saw disfigured shapes in the shadows that threatened to swoop down and carry him off to an unknown abyss.

_Where the hell was Boris?_

Theo called out Boris’ name again, hating the desperation he heard in his own voice. He hated the silence that followed even more. He clutched the frame tighter and closed his eyes, images of Boris packing his bags and leaving or lying dead in a ditch down the road flashed through his mind. The shadows around Theo loomed in closer. 

Theo cracked his eyes open as he heard the back door thud open. He sighed in relief when he realized Boris had probably just been cleaning the pool or something. He felt a wave of annoyance crash over him for panicking about something stupid. 

He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep when Boris popped his head around the corner.

“Potter?” Boris whispered. He crept closer, lightly placing a hand on The Goldfinch’s frame with a bemused expression. “So silly. Okay, here you go.”

Theo shifted his body in what he hoped was a convincing manner as Boris draped the blanket from the back of the sofa over him. Boris then grabbed a book and sat down in the nearby arm chair, kicking off his sandals and resting his feet on the coffee table.

Theo opened his eyes and faked a yawn. Sitting up on the sofa, he discreetly set the painting next to him. Why he bothered was beyond him. Obviously Boris had seen him _cuddling_ it.

“Awake now, Potter?” Boris said with a knowing look. Theo averted his eyes in embarrassment, knowing that Boris recognized he had been pretending. “Need to find better companion than that,” he continued, gesturing at the print hidden next to Theo.

Theo placed a protective hand over it and tried to change the subject. “Where were you, anyway? I didn’t see you around.”

Boris waved his hand dismissively, dog-earring the page he was on before discarding the book onto the coffee table. “Was mixing chemicals for hot tub. Should be ready soon.”

Theo grinned, his previous panic quickly replaced with excitement. He hadn’t been in a hot tub since he was a little kid. “When did you get a hot tub?”

Boris frowned at him. “ _We_ have hot tub. Has been outside near pool all the time. I point it out when you first came! Need to stop spending so much time up here,” Boris said, tapping the side of his head. “Should give you tour again. Maybe then you see everything house has to offer.”

Theo decided to humor him, and Boris dragged him around the property again. And much to his horror, he realized he really _had_ missed out on a lot. They came around to the pool area and Boris showed Theo the hot tub as though he was a blind man, grabbing Theo’s arm and putting it in the water after turning on the jets.

As Boris rattled on and pointed out every little thing to him, Theo knew he would never live this one down. Rolling his eyes, both at his own incompetence and Boris’ constant chatter, Theo shoved Boris into the pool as they walked by.

When Boris came sputtering out of the water, cursing at him in an impressive variety of languages, Theo simply laughed at him. Pointing at his own head, he badly mimicked Boris’ speech from earlier. “Need to stop spending so much time up here!”

Boris reached out and grabbed Theo’s ankle, pulling him down into the water with an undignified splash.

\-----

The days were getting shorter, and the approaching sunset hinted at the cooler weather to come. The leaves on the trees would be changing soon, and Theo wondered how much different fall would be here in the country compared to the city. He sat on the front porch swing, contemplating how much time their neighbor had wasted this summer staring at them with her binoculars.

Theo decided he had had enough of her gawking, and was going to march over there and ask what _the fuck_ her problem was. Just when he was about to get up from the swing, Boris came bursting through the front door, eagerly sitting down next to him like an excited puppy.

“What’s with you?” Theo asked, unsure if he actually wanted to know. Boris was practically bouncing on the swing, causing the entire thing to jiggle unceremoniously. Theo hoped that it was sturdily attached to the ceiling of the porch; the last thing he wanted was to crash through the wooden beams while that old hag watched with delight.

Theo froze in disbelief as Boris held out a box for him. He sharply inhaled: he was all too familiar with the box that had been a prominent part of his dreams almost every night.

“No fucking way,” Theo said, lightly pinching his leg, trying to make himself wake up yet knowing he was more awake than he had been in a long time.

Boris looked at him in confusion. “What is problem? Haven’t even opened it yet!”

Theo shook his head. “No, it’s….I’m fine.” He took the box and set it on his lap, afraid to open it. He could barely handle looking at the distorted painting in his dream. How was he supposed to react to it in reality?

Boris chuckled, throwing an arm onto the back of the swing. “Don’t worry, Potter! Is not a wedding ring; am not going to propose.” He glanced across the street and raised an eyebrow. “Eh, we have an audience. Big fucking surprise. What’s her problem anyway, Potter?”

Theo ignored him and simply stared at the box, unsure if he should tell Boris about his dreams. But what were the odds that Boris would have that _same_ box? If nothing else, Theo decided, at least there wasn’t a blood-covered crowd to watch him open it. Theo took a deep breath and opened the box, revealing a fuzzy stuffed goldfinch the size of his hand resting inside.

“Boris, what the fuck?” Theo said, laughing despite himself. He lightly punched Boris in the leg for good measure.

“What? Is better than cuddling picture frame!” Boris said with a slightly embarrassed sounding laugh.

Theo set the box down in between them, holding the stuffed animal in both of his hands. “I’m not even going to ask where you got this. But….” Theo held the bird up to his face and inhaled. It was, he was somewhat mortified to realize, perfect. It made him feel like a kid again. And, Theo realized, that didn’t have to be a bad thing. “Thanks.”

Boris leaned in, tapping Theo’s forehead with his finger. “Is okay? Or were you wishing for wedding proposal?”

Theo shrugged and put the bird back on his lap. “Actually, I wouldn’t have said no.”

He waited for the familiar roll of nausea to roll through his stomach, and was pleasantly surprised when only a dull sense of discomfort rolled through him.

Boris laughed, but quickly stopped when he saw the look of seriousness on Theo’s face. “Potter, you cannot be serious. You are not….” He gestured vaguely between them, for once at a loss for words.

Theo took his eyes off the bird and moved his gaze to Boris. “I’ve dreamed about marrying you every night for a couple of months now. So yeah, I guess I am.”

Boris kissed him then, and during that moment Theo came to a decision. He was _going_ to be _happy,_ dammit _._ He was going to destroy the constant torrent of depressive thoughts and moods, and simply enjoy the life Boris had made for them at this isolated house. He wasn’t sure how he was going to manage that quite yet, but Theo felt a small weight lift off his shoulders simply by deciding to take charge.

Boris pulled away from him and Theo absentmindedly stroked the stuffed bird’s wings with his hands as he looked across the street at their prying neighbor. Theo’s jaw dropped open as she lowered her binoculars and waved.

Theo raised his hand in an unsure wave in return. Boris gave her the finger before she shuffled back into her house.

“What the fuck was that?” Boris asked, his voice sounding too loud in the stillness of the impending sunset.

Theo shook his head. “She waited all fucking summer with those stupid binoculars for t _hat?_ And I thought _our_ life out here was dull. _”_

Boris leaned in and kissed him again. “At least she didn’t have to wait over ten years. Like me, yes? Was very long time, Potter. But I am glad you finally make up your mind.”

Theo laughed and leaned back into the swing. Maybe, he decided, this was what happiness was. Kissing Boris on the front porch with his new goldfinch between them, living a quiet life away from the temptations of the city. 

Theo closed his eyes with a smile as the sun set next to him.


End file.
